Monday, 03 March 2025

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Lia Long. Courtesy photo.


LAKEPORT, calif. – Police said early Thursday that they are continuing to develop leads in the effort to locate a teenager last seen by her family on Tuesday evening.

Police are trying to locate 16-year-old Lia Nicole Long, as Lake County News has reported.

The Lakeport Police Department, with the assistance of Bay Area law enforcement agencies and the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, continued the ongoing investigation throughout the night and early morning hours Thursday.

Officers developed leads on the whereabouts of Antonio Malik Walls, who they believed had been with Long, in the Bay Area and made contact with him.

During the investigation of Walls it was determined he did not take Lia Long from Lakeport and she was not with him when contacted, police said.

As officers were interviewing Walls, the police department received additional leads indicating Long was transported to Williams on Tuesday around 6 p.m.

At about 7 p.m. she left there in a blue- or silver-colored vehicle, believed to be a BMW, with a light-skinned white or Hispanic male and a black male adult. No other information was provided on the male subjects or the vehicle, according to police.

Police received information that Long’s cellular phone was last used in the Elk Grove area at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

The investigation is ongoing and the police department said it is working on identifying the male subjects in the BMW.

Long is described as a light-skinned American Indian female, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

She currently has two dermal piercings on both her right and left cheek. Long also has the words, “forever in my heart Alyssa 05/23/17” tattooed on her right clavicle and an upside down crescent moon on her right thigh.

The police department is concerned for Long’s safety and is seeking any leads regarding her whereabouts.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department via Facebook, anonymous text message from your cellular phone by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to the number 888777 or by telephone at 707-263-5491.
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At left, Lia Nicole Long, 16, was last seen in Lakeport, Calif., on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, and is believed to be with 21-year-old Antonio Malik Walls, reported to have an address in either Richmond or Citrus Heights, Calif. Courtesy photo.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department is looking for a teenage girl who may be with a man she met online.

Police said the family of Lia Nicole Long, 16, reported her missing at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Her family said she was last seen on Tuesday evening in the 1200 block of N. Forbes Street, police said.

Through a mutual friend of Long, the family learned she may have been at the Regency Inn Motel with an older male subject that Long met online. The family responded to the Regency Inn and learned she may have been staying with the male subject but they were not currently at the motel, according to the police report.

Lakeport Police said its officers began an investigation with the information they received. Through the course of the investigation officers were able to locate surveillance video depicting Long and a male subject at the front counter.

Receipt records from the motel revealed the male subject was identified as Antonio Malik Walls, 21, possibly out of Richmond or Citrus Heights. Police said Walls is associated with a 2014 dark-colored, possibly black, Mercury four-door sedan bearing California license plate 7UUP583.

Antonio Walls is believed to be driving a Mercury four-door sedan bearing California license plate 7UUP583. Courtesy photo.

Based on the information obtained during the investigation, the police department is considering Long an at-risk missing juvenile.

She is described as a light-skinned American Indian female, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Long currently has two dermal piercings on both her right and left cheek. She also has the words, “forever in my heart Alyssa 05/23/17” tattooed on her right clavicle and an upside down crescent moon on her right thigh, police said.

The Lakeport Police Department said Walls is currently being sought for the crime of felony child concealment.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeport Police Department via Facebook, anonymous text message from your cellular phone by texting the words TIP LAKEPORT followed by your message to the number 888777 or by telephone at 707-263-5491.


Lia Nicole Long, 16, was seen at a motel in Lakeport, Calif., with a male subject believed to be 21-year-old Antonio Malik Walls. Courtesy photo.
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On Tuesday Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced that California has been awarded $212 million in federal funding through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief program to provide long-term recovery from the devastating fires of 2017.

Congressman Thompson advocated to the administration and Congressional leadership to help secure disaster relief funding through the Bipartisan Budget Act.

“Our district was hit hard by the fires of last fall, but we have come together as federal, state and local partners to support each other, rebuild, and recover. This is about our community and the people who have been deeply impacted by these terrible disasters and it’s why I am pleased our state has been awarded more than $200 million in CDBG disaster relief funding,” said Thompson. “Our work is not finished; I will continue working with partners from across our district as we rebuild our communities.”

“From the Redwood Valley and Potter Valley fires in Mendocino, to the Pocket Fire in Geyserville, to the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, the communities we represent were hit with an indescribable level of devastation from one of the worst wildfires in our state’s history,” said Huffman. “As we join together and move forward in rebuilding our communities, houses, and lives, I’m glad to see California receive this much-needed federal support. I will continue to work with local and federal partners and advocate for all the resources that the North Coast needs during the long road to recovery.”

The Department of Housing and Urban Development awards Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief grants to flexibly support many different recovery efforts, including but not limited to housing needs, economic revitalization, and improvements to infrastructure.

California will receive $212 million, with $124 million to unmet needs and $88 million for mitigation efforts.

The state will determine a recovery plan allotting these funds to the most affected regions and that plan will then be approved by HUD.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Board of Education, in conjunction with school districts and county offices of education across California, has passed a resolution urging the state Legislature to raise school funding.

The board is asking that California school funding be raised to the national average by 2020 and to the average of the top 10 states by 2025.

California has the world’s sixth largest economy and the highest gross domestic production of any state, yet spends significantly less per pupil than most other states in America.

During the Lake County Board of Education’s March meeting, the board passed a full and fair funding resolution sponsored by the California School Boards Association.

The resolution asks the California Legislature to raise funding to a level that allows schools to prepare all students for success in college, career and civic life.

Currently, California ranks 42nd in per pupil funding; 45th in the percentage of revenue devoted to public schools; and last or nearly last in almost every measure of school staffing, including student-teacher ratio or the number of counselors, librarians or nurses per student.

Recent efforts to address the funding issue, like the Local Control Funding Formula, simply restored funding to the pre-recession levels of 2007, doing little to close the funding gap between California and other states.

In order to better serve Lake County and California students, rectify years of underinvestment in California public schools and build a brighter future for this state, the Lake County Office of Education is joining school districts and County Offices of Education across the state in calling for full and fair funding of California public schools.

For information on the Lake County Board of Education, please go to www.lakecoe.org . Board meetings are held at 1152 S. Main Street, Lakeport, on the third Wednesday of each month. Meetings begin at 1:30 p.m. Agendas are posted online and at the LCOE Main Office, 72 hours in advance of each meeting.

The full text of Resolution 1718-07 can be found at www.lakecoe.org/about/agendas_minutes.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The preliminary results for a special Tuesday election indicate that an increased fire fee on residences in the Northshore Fire Protection District has failed.

Measure E seeks to increase the fire fee on property tax bills for single family residences to $120 per year, compared to current amounts of $45 in Upper Lake, $57.50 in Nice, and $60 in Clearlake Oaks and Lucerne, as Lake County News has reported.

Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the increase is needed to keep the district sustainable in the years ahead.

Beristianos said the measure needed to pass by a supermajority of 66.7 percent.

In preliminary results released Tuesday night by the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, with all 12 precincts reporting, the measure received 54.1 percent of the vote in its favor, with 45.9 percent opposed.

The initial count indicated there was only a 25.9 percent turnout. That amounts to approximately 1,587 ballots, with 254 cast at precincts and 1,333 cast as absentees, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.

However, those results are far from final, as there is still work to be done to certify the election. That means the final tallies are likely to show more votes cast overall and a change in the voting breakdown.

The Registrar of Voters Office will begin the official canvass of the special election at 9 a.m. Thursday.

That process – which includes continuing to count absentee ballots that come in via mail over the next few days – typically is required to be completed within 30 days.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, April 25.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The CHP said a teenager is killed in a traffic collision every four hours nationwide. That equates to more than 1,870 teenagers killed each year. Another 184,000 teenagers are injured in traffic collisions.

These deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced or prevented by eliminating high-risk driving behaviors through education, and the CHP said its “Start Smart” program can help prevent these tragedies.

The Start Smart program focuses on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teenagers and their parents.

Start Smart employs innovative techniques to capture the attention of teenagers and parents, providing a lasting experience.

The curriculum includes information on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver’s license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement in a teenager’s driving experience.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



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On Wednesday Gov. Jerry Brown responded to the federal government’s request for additional California National Guard personnel.

In a letter – which was accompanied by an agreement submitted Wednesday afternoon for review and approval by the federal government – Gov. Brown said the California National Guard will accept funding to supplement staffing for its efforts to combat transnational crime.

However Brown said the mission the California National Guard participated in wouldn’t include building a new wall, rounding up women or enforcing federal immigration laws.

The full text of the governor’s letter follows.

“Dear Secretary Nielsen and Secretary Mattis:

“Pursuant to your request, the California National Guard will accept federal funding to add approximately 400 Guard members statewide to supplement the staffing of its ongoing program to combat transnational crime. This program is currently staffed by 250 personnel statewide, including 55 at the California border.

“Your funding for new staffing will allow the Guard to do what it does best: support operations targeting transnational criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers along the border, the coast and throughout the state. Combating these criminal threats are priorities for all Americans – Republicans and Democrats. That’s why the state and the Guard have long supported this important work and agreed to similar targeted assistance in 2006 under President Bush and in 2010 under President Obama.

“But let’s be crystal clear on the scope of this mission. This will not be a mission to build a new wall. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. And the California National Guard will not be enforcing federal immigration laws.

“Here are the facts: there is no massive wave of migrants pouring into California. Overall immigrant apprehensions on the border last year were as low as they’ve been in nearly 50 years (and 85 percent of the apprehensions occurred outside of California).

“I agree with the Catholic Bishops who have said that local, state and federal officials should “work collaboratively and prudently in the implementation of this deployment, ensuring that the presence of the National Guard is measured and not disruptive to community life.”

“I look forward to working with you on this important effort.”

Sincerely,

Edmund G. Brown Jr.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed David Cowan as interim Water Resources director for the county, effective immediately.

Cowan has a Master of Science in aquatic biology and more than 20 years of experience in watershed protection, water program management, aquatic biology and fisheries.

Most recently, Cowan served as Water Resources program coordinator for the county of Lake.

Cowan is passionate about Water Resources and the environment, and eager to step into his new role as Interim Water Resources Director.

“Water Resources is responsible for so many programs: lakebed management; invasive species; water quality and cyanobacteria; and, of course, the reclamation project in Upper Lake. I’m looking forward to learning more about these projects and how we can make them better in the future,” stated Cowan.

“The Water Resources team here is great,” Cowan continued. “Each person knows what they need to be doing and has a great attitude about taking on the day. Staff in other departments have been welcoming and helpful in answering questions for the new guy, as well. I’m excited to get out into all of the Lake County communities and start meeting community leaders and those involved with the lake and water.”

Cowan takes over in the wake of the departure of Water Resources Director Phil Moy.
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Bronson Marcel Tarrio. Courtesy photo.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in locating a missing Eureka man.

Bronson Marcel Tarrio, 22, was reported missing Tuesday around 9:45 a.m. by his mother, the sheriff’s office reported.

Authorities said Tarrio was last seen at around noon on Sunday as he was leaving his home on Hillcrest Avenue in Eureka.

Tarrio was expected at his mother’s home, also in Eureka, but never arrived, officials said.

Tarrio is described as a white male adult with strawberry blond, shoulder-length hair and a
beard, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, with hazel eyes.

He is associated with a red and pewter 1995 Subaru Station Wagon with a rack on top.

Anyone with information regarding Tarrio’s whereabouts is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said a Eureka man who went missing earlier this week has been safely located.

Bronson Marcel Tarrio was located in good condition at a property in Shelter Cove, officials said.

On Tuesday, a passerby in the Shelter Cove area recognized Tarrio and his vehicle from
news reports of his missing person’s status.

The passerby notified the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center. Deputies made contact with Tarrio around 7:30 p.m.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall has a full agenda this week, with a scheduled visit from the county’s state senator, an update on the county’s community visioning process, information on a major resort rebuild and the Dollar General project, in addition to holding a board election.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.

On the agenda is a visit from Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents Lake County in the State Senate.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson also will offer the group an update on the community visioning process, which grew out of a series of countywide forums in January.

The group also will review plans for the rebuild of Harbin Hot Springs, which was destroyed in the Valley fire, get an update on Dollar General and hold its board election.

The MATH Board includes Chair Claude Brown, Vice Chair Marlene Elder, member Lisa Kaplan, and alternates Mike Tabacchi and Joe Sullivan.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

Meetings are subject to videotaping.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider assessment penalties on dozens of properties where marijuana was grown without permits, discuss possible changes to city appointment procedures and present a number of proclamations.

The council will meet in closed session beginning at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, April 12, for a closed session discussion regarding properties at 14360 Olympic Drive and 14130 Tuli Lane, and one potential case of litigation before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

On Thursday’s agenda is consideration of support for the Rotary Club of Clear Lake placing a new welcome sign on Highway 53 at Lakeshore Drive.

There also will be a public hearing to confirm assessments totaling $33,500 for administrative penalties on 72 properties throughout the city whose owners failed to obtain outdoor marijuana cultivation permits in accordance with city rules, according to the staff report. Penalties range from $300 to $500 per property.

In other business, council members will consider a letter of support for SB 897, regarding residential property insurance and wildfires, and will consider opposing a state ballot measure, the “Tax Fairness, Transparency and Accountability Act of 2018” that would restrict local taxing authorities.

The council also will be asked to review the norms and procedures and consider rescinding a policy for appointing planning commission members.

Other agenda items include a change to the mayor’s 2018 appointments and consideration of appointing councilmembers as representatives to the League of California Cities Redwood Empire Division.

On Thursday there also will presentations of a retirement plaque to Javier Macias and proclamations declaring Public Safety Telecommunications Week, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month and Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the meetings on Feb. 8, 22 and 26; consideration of continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire; consideration to pay out half of eligible employees’ accrued compensation/vacation due to special circumstances; and a second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 205-2018, an uncodified ordinance approving a development agreement with Clearlake Growth Fund I, II and III LLC for the property located at 2395 Ogulin Canyon Road.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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